why is crkt going to such cheap steels?

[steve4765630]

We as the consumer DO have a choice to buy US made products. The big stuff anyway. As a musician I always do my best to buy US made instruments, amps, speakers, etc. It can be done. It costs a little more, but you get the quality with it too, so the price is worth it. The people that HAVE to shop at Wal-Mart are lying. I avoid it as much as possible and get by just fine.

I don't think Ronald Regan is fully to blame for the current state of things. Most of those trade agreements were as much a cry for peace as they were a tool for a global economy. I'm no political expert, but looking back at the time was president I have to come to this conclusion.

As far as the current Social Insecurity program is concerned.... I don't want to say it, but I will. We cannot rely on this as a retirement fund. We as responsible Americans must have retirement funds, investments, 401k's and other means to take care of oureslves. We cannot expect a system that was put in place lo those many years ago to still work. You can put your faith in it all you want, but I'll take my chances of owning my retirement.

Sorry, this should not be on this forum, but the last post made me do it. We are all entitled to our own opinions and we will act on those in due course. I guess we won't find out who is right until it's too late. Isn't that funny how this stuff works. It's all a big crap shoot. Go with your heart, do your best, live long and prosper.

 

[Lavan]

Yeah, I shoulda put it in the other forum, but when I see anyone bemoaning the lack of quality or seeking reasons for just general decline, I go nuts.
The truth is that we are trying to compete with $2 an hour labor while owing $10 an hour on our houses.
It just won't work.

 

[Carl64]

How many times have you heard a knife person on an established forum (like this one!) say "I've heard great things about the Delica, but I won't get one 'cause the plastic handle feels cheap"? Same thing with gun people and Glocks.

I don't actually hear that very much. I think it's mainly a loud-mouthed minority. Glocks and Delicas sure do sell, and neither is the cheapest item on the market. I think Glock and Spyderco have both proven that there is a good enough market out there for high quality of function without shiny pretty parts.

The upcoming Delica has a lot of requested features from people who don't seem to think a plastic handle is anything wrong but still want quality and useful features. Nested steel liners, 4-way pocket clips, all-screw assembly, new grip pattern, ridged thumb area, and continued premium steel. Of all the 100's of posts about improving the Delica, which was no secret would still have FRN handles, nobody asked for a lower price.

 

[Grover_Cephas]

I don't actually hear that very much. I think it's mainly a loud-mouthed minority. Glocks and Delicas sure do sell, and neither is the cheapest item on the market. I think Glock and Spyderco have both proven that there is a good enough market out there for high quality of function without shiny pretty parts.

I can't speak to Glocks, as I don't know too much about the gun market (I'm in Jersey--it's illegal to know much about the gun market here ), but isn't CRKT's market much, much larger than Spyderco's? Spyderco _seems_ to sell mainly to people who _need_ an inexpensive, high-performance tool.

I'm hardly an expert on Spyderco and CRKT's market shares, though.

 

[swalter6306]

Ah-someone said the magic words, "their intended purpose". Most knife companies I have talked to talk of price break and theor intended use. Can the steel be blanked or does it need cutting etc. Changes the price. Buy for your intended use...if you collect, it may not mean much. I do tend to avoid 420j or 420j2 and non descipt 420 or even just 440 or "surgical steel" unless I can verify what it is.